For Obese Men, Sexual Improvements May Be Evident One Month After Bariatric Surgery

Obese men could see improvements in erectile and urinary function as early as one month after bariatric surgery, according to a recent study.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common problems for obese men. Past research has found that bariatric surgery can improve these conditions. However, those studies had follow-up periods of three to twelve months, and it has been unclear whether symptoms started to resolve within a shorter time frame. The current study focused on results that were evident one month following surgery.

The study involved 30 sexually-active obese men with an average age of 48 years. All were over 30 years old. None of the men had been treated for ED or LUTS in the past.

A month before bariatric surgery, the men completed two questionnaires designed to evaluate erectile function (International Index of Erectile Function – IIEF) and prostate symptoms (International Prostate Symptom Score – IPSS). Blood sugar levels were also measured. These assessments were repeated at one-, three-, and six-month points after surgery.

The men were also divided into groups based on whether they had ED or not. They were further classified as having no/mild LUTS or moderate/severe LUTS.

Before surgery, 18 men had ED and 14 had moderate to severe LUTS. Twelve had both ED and LUTS together.

Symptoms improved quickly. At the one-month follow-up, men with ED and moderate/severe LUTS had already starting seeing some improvement in erectile function and prostate symptoms, with more improvement achieved three months after surgery. Blood sugar levels also improved. These results were maintained into the six-month follow-up assessment, which concluded the study.

Considering the reasons behind the improvements, the authors suggested several possibilities, including dramatic weight loss (most men had lost 20% to 25% of their original weight by the six-month point) and better emotional well-being after surgery. It’s also possible that testosterone levels increased, although the authors acknowledged that they did not measure hormone levels in this study.

“Measurement of serum testosterone and aromatase levels at the same time points would add to our understanding of the mechanism underlying the observed improvements in function,” they wrote.
The study was published online last month in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.